Jeremy Hill has had fantasy football owners pulling out their hair for a large part of the season, it is almost as if Marvin Lewis wants all of you to lose on purpose doesn't it?
Hill has been the starting running back all season long and at 5-0 why change anything? Lewis reiterated that Hill was the starting back before last week's game as well and it only ended up in fantasy owners receiving another subpar performance. This is a case of 2 backs that play a lot better coming off the bench.
Sure Hill has had 1 or 2 games that were productive but for the most part he has disappeared from the fantasy world. Hill's counterpart however Giovani Bernard has been on fire for most of the season. Bernard is the running back when the Bengals are behind in games and he is the passing down back.
This essentially makes Bernard the most important check down target in this offense. Andy Dalton has been having an incredible season and his passing accuracy should have just helped open up rushing lanes for Hill, but in most of these games the Bengals have been behind.
The bottom line is if you put both of these backs together you have a star running back however apart they both have great qualities but only Bernard will be relevant at least this season. Looking at the stats tells you all you need to know, Hill: 58 carries, 176 yards, 5 touchdowns, averaging 3.0 yards per carry.
Bernard: 69 carries, 377 yards, 1 touchdown, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Bernard is clearly the better back but Hill has vultured him in the end zone plenty of times this season. Bernard is the clear starter especially having 10 carries over the struggling Hill; however defenses prepare for Hill after his incredible year last year not expecting Bernard to be the main guy.
With all the carries Bernard gets it only feels like a matter of time before the switch is made but that will only come if the Bengals lose a game.
